IMPULSES AND NUDES AT M.A.C.

My most recent trip to M.A.C. was a very successful one. And by succesful I mean that I walked in for a concealer, and walked out with a bunch of other things. At this point, I have stopped expecting sticking to my shopping list when it comes to makeup. Or skincare.  Or shoes. But that’s besides the point.

The concealer I ended up getting is the Studio Finish Concealer Duo. The shade I got is NW20/NC25. The duo includes a salmony shade, to cancel out the eternal purply blue shadow under my eyes, as well as a yellow toned shade to correct redness and blemishes. Melissa, the makeup artist I work with when I got to M.A.C. applied it using a duo fiber brush (N. 286), and I absolutely adored the finish. I didn’t end up buying the brush, but started applying my concealer with the Real Techniques domed shadow brush in the same fashion.

Pink Treat | Mehr | Velvet Teddy

 

My unexpected purchases are fun ones : lipsticks! I bought two matte lipsticks, in the shade “Mehr” and “Velvet Teddy”. And before you guys stare at your computer screen horror, yes I am aware that my not owning “Velvet Teddy”  until now was a crime to nude lips everywhere. I also purchased a Cremestick Liner in the shape “Pink Treat”, that I use with both lipstick shades. I had always applied my lipliner before my lipstick, because that’s what you’re supposed to do right? Wrong. For the perfect pouty lip, line your lips after applying your lipstick: you’ll immediately see what the final result will be. This technique also makes over drawing your lips à la Kylie Jenner a lot easier, while significantly reducing your chances of ending up looking like a clown.

What have been your recent  impulsive makeup purchases? What nude lipstick should I look into next?

Valérie

VIVA GLAM x MILEY CYRUS

I do have to say that I was pretty surprised not to see a pulled out tongue on the packaging! It is Miley Cyrus’ collection after all! But the product itself makes up for my disappointment. The lipstick is a beautiful shade of bright pink, with just the right hint of coral. As its an amplified crème lipstick, the product is highly pigmented without being too thick and drying as some other M.A.C. lipsticks can be.

As for the lipglass, it is as sparkly as it looks! On the lips, the color is not as bright as it is in the tube, coming out more like a sheer barbie pink. Personally, it’s not a product that I would wear on its own. I’ve never been a big fan of sparkles in my lipgloss. I’m more of a matte lip kind of girl! As for this one, I apply it over lipstick in the center of my bottom lip : it adds just the right amount of shine, while making my lips appear fuller!

Did you guys try out the Miley Cyrus Viva Glam products? What did you guys think about it?

Valérie

FEKKAI ESSENTIAL SHEA MOISTURE MASK

There’s a new regular in my hair care routine ladies and gentlemen, and its a good one! I was on the hunt for a magical remedy for the train wreck that had become my hair, and stumbled upon the Fekkai Essential Shea Rich Moisture Mask in the enchanted forest that is Bloomingdale’s. I started using it about two months ago, after chopping off a scary amount of my hair due to horrendous damage.

Some of my hair, mostly the layers framing my face, were still pretty dry and weak, and split ends never seem to leave me alone for long. Since I did not have the courage to amputate all the damaged hair and go for a full-on short bob, I decided to roll back my sleeves and do something to help it heal. I now use the Fekkai mask as my conditioner every time I wash my hair. Now, that might seem a little excessive at first, but considering the fact that  I was my hair roughly twice a week, it is very doable. I leave it on for about 5 minutes, and use that time wisely for a little off-tone private concert in my shower.

When I feel like my hair needs a little extra tender love and care, either because I went a little strong on the heating tools that week, or because the weather has been particularly unforgiving, I spend the night with it! I apply it to wet, unwashed hair before going to bed, and wrap my head in a towel. The towel prevents a big mess on my sheets, but also retains heat, opening up my hair follicles and letting the mask work its magic at full power. I wash and condition my hair in the morning, with a regular conditioner, because using the mask again would be overkilling it a little, and voilà! Smooth, shiny, healthy hair!

I can honestly say that I don’t remember the last time that my hair looked, but also felt so healthy, to the point that my best friend noticed it the first time I used it!  The smell of the product is also quite intoxicating, described as a blend of jasmine and exotic florals. I don’t know which exotic florals are used to fragrance it, but can I please have some to put on my desk? The 7 oz container of the Fekkai mask retails for $25.00, which is quite affordable in the world of high-end hair masks. The jar lasted me about 7-8 weeks, and I repurchased it a few days ago so I wouldn’t find myself living in a world without it again. I am being dramatic here, but you get the idea.

Have you guys ever tried out Fekkai products before? What did you think about them?

Valérie

WALKING IN(TO SEPHORA) BLIND

I walked into Sephora with a very clear idea of what kind of products I wanted/needed, but with a very opened mind about brands and specific products. Which I never do. I have the tendency to do a lot of research online about products I might want to get, and while it can be amazing and time saving once I get in the store, it also steers me away from amazing products I might not have heard of.

I was looking for a very lightweight foundation that I could wear on an daily basis to help me look like a halfway decent human being. Since I’m all about versatility, I also wanted something that could be built up to medium to full coverage for special occasions. I recently became of fan of letting my skin shine though my makeup, and the Make Up For Ever Face and Body Liquid Makeup seemed to match my needs perfectly.

As for concealer, I ended up browsing in the Lancôme aisle. I’d never used any of the brand’s face products before, mainly because they tend to be heavily fragranced, something my sensitive and temperamental skin does not like. I picked up the Effacernes Waterproof concealer, formulated specifically to conceal under eye circles, as they have been getting even more out of control than usual. I look like I have not slept in days, and a long-lasting, highly pigmented concealer was necessary.

Lastly, I needed a new bronzer. The Nars Laguna bronzer I had been using for the past year now resembles a loose powder. I am surprised I didn’t shatter it earlier, to be honest. I don’t have the best track record with pressed powder… I wanted to try something new, and decided it was time to move away from the colder-toned matte bronzer I use for contouring, and settled on the Sephora Bora Bora Bronzing Powder.

I have only used these products a couple of times, and so far I am satisfied. I will review them more in depth when I have a better grasp of how they actually work and hold. Did you guys buy any new makeup products recently? Do you ever walk into Sephora blind?

Valérie

 

KIEHL’S CALENDULA COLLECTION

Let me share something with you, ladies and gentlemen: I have bad skin. Not all the time, and not to an extent that justify incessant complaining, but bad nonetheless. I have what is called Rosacea, which causes my skin, mostly around my cheeks in my case, to be in a constant shade of crimson. I am not shy in public, but I certainly look it. Foundation usually takes care of the color rather quickly, and I rarely worry about it when I wear makeup. I do however, worry about the imperfections that decide to show up uninvited when I am extremely stressed. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about!

As most of college students, I was in finals for the past few weeks. And this semester was particularly rough one guys. I slept an average of four hours a night for almost two weeks, and pulled way too many all-nighters for my taste. I can now truly say that caffeine was my savior! As you can now probably guess, pimples and blackheads and other kind of mean things decided to have a party on my face, and made quite a mess with it too!

My roommate, amazing individual that she is, noticed my state of despair and surprised me with new Kiehl’s goodies as part of my Christmas present. And she was right on point with what she got! I can honestly say that the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Wash and the Calendula Herbal Extract Toner worked wonder on my skin already!

The Foaming Wash  is soft enough that I can use it morning and night without it stripping my skin and making it feel uncomfortably tight the way some cleansers do. The gel foams up when applied of wet skin, and takes care of makeup, dirt, and the pollution those of us living in big cities are inevitably exposed to brilliantly, leaving my skin feeling fresh and soft.

Something particularly cool, and the occasion calls for the word, is that there are real flower petals floating in the liquid. I find it way more entertaining than I probably should, but I do not care, because it is amazing! Both the product and its smell are very relaxing, and the toner is very effective at calming my skin, and my Rosacea. The smell reminds me of a honey green team I used to be obsessed with, and I have to admit I stocked up on it since I started using the product. Mostly to keep myself from being tempted to drink the toner. Which would not be one of my brightest idea/moment.

Have you guys tried the Calendula Collection from Kiehl’s? What did you think about it?

Valérie

READY, SET, GORGEOUS!

I popped into Duane Reade a couple of weeks ago in the hopes of passing time between two classes. Nothing passes the time better than looking at, and ultimately buying, makeup. I hadn’t seen Katy Perry’s collaboration with Covergirl before, and the pink packaging won me over. Naturally, I purchased the foundation, the concealer and the pressed powder, because trying them out together is the only way to try them out!

Let me start with a bold statement: I loved the foundation! The shade matched my skin tone perfectly, which is actually quite surprising for a drugstore product, as the shades are usually more limited, and unavailable for swatching. The coverage is medium to full, perfect for everyday wear. My only critic of this product is quite subjective : it’s too matte. Too matte for winter, anyway. Too dull for my dry winter skin. It would be perfect in the summer, when one can use all the mattifying products and still have a glow, if not a full on shine. I apply it in dots all over my face, using Real Technique’s Buffing Brush to blend it out. For now, I’ve taken the habit of adding the slightest bit of Benefit’s “Girl meets Pearl” to it when I use it to achieve that healthy glowing skin we all strive for!

The pressed powder was good, but not extraordinary. The pigmentation of it added the perfect touch of coverage to the skin while setting the foundation into place. It could have been grounded a little more finely, as it looked slightly cake-y on the skin. I liked the white and pink packaging, but would have replace the sponge to fill out the compact with powder. No one really uses them anyway, right?

As far as the concealer goes, I was disappointed by both the packaging and the formula. To me, the felt tip applicator is unhygienic. I have a thing for liquid concealers in tubes. In my opinion, concealers should be creamy and highly pigmented : how else could it hide those imperfections we want gone? The formula was very liquid, and I dare to say it was less pigmented than the foundation :  couldn’t manage to cover my (very) dark circles, or imperfections. Granted, I don’t even come close to getting enough sleep, and stress has taken a toll on my skin lately, so the task is quite extensive.

The overall feeling I got from those products is that they were tailored for young girls with beautiful skin that don’t need that full coverage. Which, considering that the line was a partnership with a pop singer, it probably was. Have you ever tried the Ready, Set, Gorgeous line? What did you think about it?

Valérie

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

As much as I love New York, and everything it has to offer, sometimes I just want to  escape the constant movement and go to a quieter place. Growing up in the suburbs of a small town has the advantage of offering calm oasis for people who seek them, and some time in (relative) silence was just what the doctor ordered after weeks of stressful midterms. My friends and I decided that it was time for a well deserved and long overdue girls weekend, and after three months without leaving New York, I was more than excited when my friend Mariel suggested a weekend getaway to the Hamptons. And so Mariel, Hayley, Emilie and I packed our weekend bags and took the road.

I do have to admit that one of my favorite part of the whole trip was that I got to drive, which is probably one of the things I miss the most about living in New York. We spent the weekend in a beautiful house in Montauk,drank our fare share of wine on the beach and ate more seafood than our stomachs could handle. We made  a day of visiting a vineyard in Sagaponak, the Wölffer Estate, and had an amazing wine tasting accompanied by plates of cheeses and diverse Mediterranean foods. I recommend to everyone to go visit the Hamptons in the off season. The weather is amazing for layering (yeah!) , and the whole area is quiet and relaxing. All and all, it was the perfect getaway!

Valérie

 

FACE OF THE DAY

Get Ready with Me videos have been my favorite beauty videos to watch on YouTube for as long as I can remember. I think that the idea of sharing the products that you use everyday is a great way to communicate your true love for some products. If you commit to use them daily, they must be pretty damn great, right?

Even though I don’t film beauty videos (well, not yet anyway) I thought that it would still be a good idea to share my trusted makeup allies with you guys! I don’t wear my full face of war paint on an everyday basis, and these products help me achieve a natural look, while still appearing polished. They basically help me resemble a human being in the morning. Which, let me tell you, is a difficult task.

• Tarte Amazonian Clay full-coverage Airbrush Foundation – Fair Honey
• Nars Bronzer – Laguna
• Mac Mineralized Blush – Dainty
• Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara – Blackest Black
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade – Soft Brown
• Maybelline Color Tattoo – Bad to the Bronze
• NYX Eye Pencil – white
• YSL Volupté Sheer Candy – Cool Guava

I you have any questions about how I use these products, or how they apply and stay throughout the day, feel free to ask me in the comments section! Have a beautifully made up day!

-Valérie

BIG BROWS, BIG ATTITUDE

As any respectable makeup aficionado of the 21st century, I make it my duty to keep by brows in good shape. No matter how tired or lazy I am in the morning (or afternoon, depending on when I can drag myself out of bed) I alway make sure that my brow game is strong. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the brows are the really pretty and important curtains framing them. And even thought that analogy might not be the strongest I’ve ever come up with, you guys get the message! For those of us who haven’t been blessed with full brows like the lovely Cara Delevigne and Lily Collins of the world, brow products are essential to our lives. Or, for the less dramatic, our makeup routine.

I recently started using Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dipbrow Pomade, and it revolutionized the way I fill in my brows. First of all, let’s asses the fact that this thing is waterproof. And even though I know that summer is over and that most of us won’t be splashing around in water any time soon, it’s still reassuring to know that we will have an ally when the time comes. I also purchased the assorted dual ended brush. For an optimal application, yes, but also because I like things to match. Don’t judge me.

The angle brush is perfect for precise application, the bristles being stiff enough to create the perfect hair like strokes, while the spooley is perfect for softening the overall look of the brow. The Pomade is extremely pigmented, and a little goes a long way! I made the mistake of jamming my brush in the product the first time, and I slightly overkilled it. Proceed with caution for the first application, but it works like a charm when you get the trick! I still use a clear mascara to groom and tame my brows, as some hair seem to have a mind of their own, but I love the Dipbrow Pomade to fill in and thicken the shape of my brows. FYI, I use the shade Soft Brown. What products do you guys use for your brows?

-Valérie

SUNKISSED HAIR AND SUCH WONDERS

I used to color my hair every couple of months  when I was younger. In the span of two years, I went from bleach blonde to black, trying out copper, bright red, light brown and many more along the way. Quick advice: don’t do that.

I have since then managed to get back to my natural medium brown, and liked it for the last three years or so. I am, however, growing quite tired of it.I’ve wanted to add either highlight or an ombre effect to my hair for the longest of times, but my debacles with bleaching and dyeing have pretty much scarred me, and my hair, for life. I have then decided to try out a gradual effect lightening product. How lucky am I that L’Oréal recently came out with a new product that does just that? (rhetorical question)

After four weeks, and about six applications of the Casting sun kiss Jelly, I can honestly say that this thing works pretty damn well, especially since my hair was not close to blonde to start with. I applied the jelly to wet hair, focusing on the lengths of my hair, and used a hair dryer to activate the product. And since you can use the product on either wet or dry hair, I proceeded to create highlight by applying it on specific strands or hair, namely the strands framing my face. Personally, I would not recommend applying it on dry hair all over, since the product can be quite drying. I’ve been doing overnight coconut oil masks to retain some moisture and shine, and it’s been doing the trick.

The sun-kissed effect is even more apparent when my hair is exposed to the light, which, in my opinion, keeps things interesting from day to night.I am going to continue applying the product once a week until some of the strands I’ve been working on lighten to a true blonde. If that’s even possible. I’ll keep you guys posted. Have you tried the L’Oréal Casting Sunkiss Jelly? Let me know what you think about it in the comments bellow.

– Valérie